The 45mm piece consists of a lumed face with California-style indicators that feature geometric shapes and Roman numerals at the top and Arabic numerals on the bottom. This style, designed in 1942 for maximum readability underwater, give a bit of a kick to this monster and the lumed hands are eminently readable.

It comes in blue, black, and green. The green is unique in that it has a rugged, pitted bezel that looks like it was pulled off a sunken wreck.

Two peeves: A small date window at three o’clock is superfluous as is the unmarked bezel which turns but is otherwise unmarked. I asked the team why they added it and they said it was just because people liked fiddling with it. Fair enough.

That blasé answer gives you some idea of the target for this watch. At $600 it comes in far lower than similar bronze pieces from Oris and others but the size and style are the real draw here. A beefy watch like this is a statement more than an effort at absolute utility and, given the automatic movement and clear homages to dive watches of the past, it’s more of a fashion/tool watch than anything you would wear while exploring the briny depths – although its rated for 200 meters.

As for the name I’m going to just put this out here: if you know your Russian history you probably won’t want to take this watch too deep. The Kursk was an atomic submarine that sunk in the Barents Sea and 118 crew were killed. It’s not exactly the image you want to put out there when it comes to diving watches but I guess they did it with the Titanic DNA watch so who are we to judge?

In the end, you have to decide if this beefy watch is for you. I love bronze watches and I really like what the designers have come up with here. It’s a large watch, to be sure, and it wears big. It’s a statement piece and, given all the heavy-handed Russianism going on in the branding an design, an acquired taste. That said, at least you’ll be able to see its big, bold watch face for a few more hours than the next guy if you go down with the ship.

]]>https://wristwatchreview.com/2020/06/05/in-mother-russia-stalingrads-kursk-diver-wears-you/feed/0The Tutima Saxon One Chronograph is the Lady in Redhttps://wristwatchreview.com/2020/06/05/the-tutima-saxon-one-chronograph-is-the-lady-in-red/
https://wristwatchreview.com/2020/06/05/the-tutima-saxon-one-chronograph-is-the-lady-in-red/#respondFri, 05 Jun 2020 13:00:00 +0000https://wristwatchreview.com/?p=142671Or dame, if you prefer (seems we’re not to be using fraulein anymore). Either which way, this particular Tutima Saxon One Chronograph is actually a version you can’t find anywhere on the Tutima site? Why is that? I couldn’t get an answer, but let’s just treat it like a “hidden menu item” – and send your local AD for a spin when you request it.

So, given my well-published distate for chronographs, would I agree to go hands-on with the Tutima Saxon One Chronograph? Well, for one, Tutima does an absolute surpreme job of designing chronographs that hide that very functionality in plain site. Secondly, who wouldn’t want to check out a watch you can’t even see on the corporate site?

When I got the Tutima Saxon One Chronograph in for review, I was of course struck by the lovely shade of red. When you take a closer look at the dial, you notice that you’ve got a flatter, almost enamel-like red for the main dial, accented by a brighter metallic red used in the subdials. Now, let’s talk about those subdials. On the left, you’ve got your running seconds, pretty standard. On the bottom, you’ve got a 12-hour chronograph register. So, up top is the chronograph minutes, right? Nope! That’s a 24-hour register (linked to the main time). So, how are you tracking the minutes?

Well, when you kick off the chronograph, the second hard starts sweeping around, and then you’re greeted with the site of the chrono minutes hand, which was hiding there, just invisible due to being the same shape and size. This continues the theme of Tutima hiding the functionality in plain site, and I, frankly, was delighted to experience it. Less delightful was that bezel. sure, with it’s clean red mark, you could use it as a secondary timer. However, it’s bi-directional and has no discernible “click” to it, which means it’s super-easy to knock off of the mark you set it at, diminishing it’s usability.

The rest of the dial-side of things with the Tutima Saxon One Chronograph is a delight. The dagger handset is appropriately and proportionately sized, the polished indices have little lume pips hiding at the outer track, and the date window even managed to get beveled, making it look more like a conscious design decision than the almost-afterthought so many date windows end up representing.

Flipping the Tutima Saxon One Chronograph over, you get a lovely (if no-nonsense) look at the automatic movement doing the heavy lifting, complete with an applied logo on the rotor. Of course, being an automatic and a chronograph does mean you need space, and those high bevels on the caseback do belie the almost 16mm thickness of the piece.

Even with that, though, I did enjoy my time with the Tutima Saxon One Chronograph. If I were buying one, though, I think I’d opt for the bracelet, as the strap seemed a little offput by the rotational forces the case was exerting. That said, it would be hard to deny the appeal of this very cherry approach to a watch. As reviewed here, the Tutima Saxon One Chronograph can be yours for $6,100. And, unlike yesterday’s German chronograph, doesn’t require you to buy a car at the same time. tutima.com

Review Summary

Brand & Model: Tutima Saxon One Chronograph

Price: $6,100

Who’s it for? You want a chronograph that doesn’t look like a chronograph – and has lots of details hiding in the dial

Would I wear it? While I like the “hidden chronograph” design, this is not the Tutima for me (that would the Sky or the non-chrono Saxon One)

What I’d change: The bezel. I suppose it could help with timing, but the fact that it’s bi-directional and all-but-clickless means it’s surpremely easy to knock off of the mark you set it on.

The best thing about it: For me, the best surprise was that the chrono seconds hand was actually hiding the chrono minutes hand – a lot of hidden details here!

]]>https://wristwatchreview.com/2020/06/05/the-tutima-saxon-one-chronograph-is-the-lady-in-red/feed/0If your heritage Porsche isn’t exclusive enough, here’s a watch that only you can buyhttps://wristwatchreview.com/2020/06/04/if-your-heritage-porsche-isnt-exclusive-enough-heres-a-watch-that-only-you-can-buy/
https://wristwatchreview.com/2020/06/04/if-your-heritage-porsche-isnt-exclusive-enough-heres-a-watch-that-only-you-can-buy/#respondThu, 04 Jun 2020 13:00:00 +0000https://wristwatchreview.com/?p=142749I know I won’t be parking one in my garage, and doubt one will be on my wrist, but there is definitely an elegance in their designs. Goes to show when you have the chops to design iconic cars, you can apply that to other areas. The latest are intended to be paired, actually. The Porsche Design Chronograph 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition (phew, that’s a mouthful) is to be paired with the Porsche 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition.

How so? Well, to get a Porsche Design Chronograph 911 Targa 4S Heritage Design Edition, you need to go to your Porsche dealer, order the car, and then pony up another $14,000 for the honor of a watch that is paired to your car.

Which, if that’s you, all the more power to you. To me, having a watch that’s only available to owners of a specific car (with it’s own attendant cost) speaks to one of two things. Giving folks another status symbol to carry around with them while not rumbling around the roads, or a way to “guarantee” you won’t see your watch on some plebe’s wrist. Either way, while I like the idea behind the Porsche Design concept, this is one release that’s simply leaving a bad taste in my mouth. porsche-design.com

]]>https://wristwatchreview.com/2020/06/04/if-your-heritage-porsche-isnt-exclusive-enough-heres-a-watch-that-only-you-can-buy/feed/0Black Lives Matterhttps://wristwatchreview.com/2020/06/03/black-lives-matter/
https://wristwatchreview.com/2020/06/03/black-lives-matter/#commentsWed, 03 Jun 2020 13:01:00 +0000https://wristwatchreview.com/?p=142739Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve seen the peaceful protests against police brutality and systemic racism, as well as the heavy-handed responses coming from some levels of leadership in response to those protests (and yes, the rioting and looting). This has been weighing on me, and I just want to share some thoughts as well as some resources.

This started off as an addendum to the regular article I wrote earlier today, but that didn’t seem right. What’s going on right now in our country is more important than any discussion of watches. Sure, you may have come here for escapism, but now is not the time to do that. We need to face up to what our local, state, and federal government have been doing.

As that comic above shows, now is not the time to tune out. As a country, we’re waking up to the larger problems out there, and no, watches aren’t going to solve it. Or any consumer good, for that matter. Watches can function as an example, in a way. What they can show is the fact that, there are ways that we can come together and be more than our individual pieces. As people, we can – and should – pull together to shut down violence against oppressed people, and stand up against injustice when we see it in the world around us.

Apologies for that diversion, but it’s just been weighing on my heart and mind, and I needed to get at least some small part of it out there. If you’re in agreement, that’s awesome – get out there and do your part to help raise our collective consciousness on these matters. And if you don’t agree? Don’t come at us with your “well, what about…” or “all lives matter” BS. In fact, don’t even bother coming around here, because we don’t want or need that here. But before you leave, just read through this comic from Kris Straub and see how nonsense your position is:

While writing about watches at WWR isn’t going to change the world, we certainly aren’t going to stand by and stay silent. If you, on the other hand, want to spout ignorance, you need to stay silent and stay away from here. For everyone else, we’re here for you however we can be.

And if you’re looking for resources, here are some that we’ve found that you may find helpful; if you’ve found others, let us know and we’ll add them to the list here:

Image borrowed from Scott Kurtz at PvP
]]>https://wristwatchreview.com/2020/06/03/black-lives-matter/feed/1You got your Moser in my MB&F !https://wristwatchreview.com/2020/06/03/you-got-your-moser-in-my-mbf/
https://wristwatchreview.com/2020/06/03/you-got-your-moser-in-my-mbf/#respondWed, 03 Jun 2020 13:00:00 +0000https://wristwatchreview.com/?p=142725When it comes to high-end watches, there are certain images that one conjures in their mind for certain brands. For H. Moser, it’s watches that are so sublimely clean (due to their dials) they become frosty in their sterility, elevating “just” a simple three-hander to something else. Now, with MB&F, they have things that are over-the-top expressions of micro-engineering (and we love them). If there were two brands to ever collaborate, Moser and MB&F are as much of an Oscar-and-Felix combination as one could think of.

But, you see, somehow they’ve figured out how to do it, and they’ve come up with something just as delightful as that combination of peanut butter and chocolate. How’s it done? Well, in two different ways, actually, both giving the nod to the roots of where each of these brands comes from, design-wise.

For the MB&F take, you’ve got the H. Moser × MB&F Endeavor Cylindrical Tourbillon. While this has that lovely Moser fume dial (in blue, burgundy, green, off-white, or ice blue; 15 of each dial color), it’s very much recognizable as coming from MB&F. For me, that comes in the form of the super highly-domed sapphire crystal. Why so high? Well, to give the room to the tourbillon, of course, but more importantly, to the time display. Rather than a standard set of hands, you have a secondary dial (in etched sapphire) canted up at a 45-degree angle to indicate the time. Utterly mad and over the top, and it’s lovely. And in fact, even with that crazy time display, the fume dial just tones things down to make the watch more approachable.

Now, for the MB&F x H. Moser, you’ve ostensibly started with a watch that is very much a Moser – crisp fume dial with a simple set of hands on it. But then you get the crazy flying vee over the top, and that is oh-so MB&F. While I love seeing a balance wheel at work, the practice of dial cutouts just doesn’t do it for me. Figuring out how to get it up on TOP of the dial? Yeah, that definitely floats my boat.

2020 has been a strange year, and even with that, if you had told me that Moser and MB&F were going to team up, I would have asked what you were smoking. Well, apparently those dials, it would seem, because that collaboration is here. The Moser Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon (15 pieces in each of 5 dial colors) will be running $79,000 while the MB&F LM101 has 15 pieces of four dial colors (blue, green, red, or aqua) coming in at $52,000. So, yeah, those are pricey pieces, and not something any of us are likely to see on our wrists. MoserX MB&F

]]>https://wristwatchreview.com/2020/06/03/you-got-your-moser-in-my-mbf/feed/0Shelter in IPA place with DudeMaskshttps://wristwatchreview.com/2020/06/01/shelter-in-ipa-place-with-dudemasks/
https://wristwatchreview.com/2020/06/01/shelter-in-ipa-place-with-dudemasks/#respondMon, 01 Jun 2020 13:50:47 +0000https://wristwatchreview.com/?p=142719As we approach a long, weird summer, we’re probably going to all be wearing masks. That’s why DudeMasks are so important. Created for beer lovers and/or dudes, they encourage social distancing while letting the world know you’re ready for another brass monkey.

You’re going to want to hang with your friends. You’re going to need to social distance. Why not do it in style?

]]>https://wristwatchreview.com/2020/06/01/shelter-in-ipa-place-with-dudemasks/feed/0Introducing the Hemel Air League Chronogaphhttps://wristwatchreview.com/2020/06/01/introducing-the-hemel-air-league-chronogaph/
https://wristwatchreview.com/2020/06/01/introducing-the-hemel-air-league-chronogaph/#respondMon, 01 Jun 2020 13:00:00 +0000https://wristwatchreview.com/?p=142716When it comes to independent brands doing special editions, they tend to be forum-specific. But what about something being offered up just to a specific Facebook group? That’s a new one on me, and what we have going on with the Hemel Air League Chrongraph.

As with forum watches, this watch is one designed by input from members of the League of Watch Microbrands group over on Facebook. In short, you’ve got a vintage-look chronograph, complete with a manually-wound movement that has it’s roots back in the 1960s. In this case, it’s the ST1901 from Seagull, which is gone over by Hemel before installing it into the case.

For a mechanical chronograph, the 42mm case diameter of the Hemel Air League Chrongraph is fairly modest (though no word on thickness). Though the watch is vintage in style, you’ve definitely got modern materials – stainless steel for the case, sapphire for the crystal, and a lumed ceramic insert for the 120-click bezel.

Aside from the look of the dial, what is so great about the Hemel Air League Chrongraph is it’s price. Once you’re a member of the group, you can put your reservation down. Prior to June 30th, it’s just $299 (practically unheard of for a mechanical chronograph); after that, the price goes up to $499. And, of course, once there’s a loaner we can wrangle, we’ll go hands on with the watch. hemelwatches.com

Tech Specs from Hemel

Case

42mm stainless steel

Finish: polished

Case back: exhibition, screw-down, engraved

Lug width: 22mm

Lug to lug: 49mm

Crown: signed, push/pull, winding

Front crystal: double domed, sapphire

Water resistance: 100m

Bezel: ceramic, rotating, 120 click, lumed

Movement

Mechanical, hand-winding

Seagull ST1901

Hacking seconds hand

21,600 bph

23 jewels

Power reserve: 45 hours

Strap: vintage brown leather with signed, polished buckle

Dial: domed, matte black with Superluminova C3

]]>https://wristwatchreview.com/2020/06/01/introducing-the-hemel-air-league-chronogaph/feed/0Times are different – and the Shinola The Champ Detrola recognizes thathttps://wristwatchreview.com/2020/05/29/times-are-different-and-the-shinola-the-champ-detrola-recognizes-that/
https://wristwatchreview.com/2020/05/29/times-are-different-and-the-shinola-the-champ-detrola-recognizes-that/#respondFri, 29 May 2020 13:00:00 +0000https://wristwatchreview.com/?p=142703No doubt, we all had different visions in our mind for how 2020 was going to play out. For many, the 2020 Summer Olympics were no doubt going to be a highlight. Shinola had planned a watch to commemorate the Olympics, but those got delayed – as did their watch plans. Until they realized they could honor another amazing contender, our healthcare workers. So, they pivoted, and now the Shinola The Champ Detrola has a new mission.

Rather than honoring athletes, the Shinola The Champ Detrola is helping to honor all the women and men leading the charge in our hospitals and healthcare facilities in the midst of the pandemic. Rather than committing just a portion of the proceeds, Shinola is donating $197,500 to the ‘Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan’ – which is arrived at by the $395 retail price multiplied by the 500 piece limited edition.

So, yes, you could say they’re “all in” with the Shinola The Champ Detrola. Pre-orders for the watch opened up today, with delivery anticipated for sometime later this year, once it’s safe for them to re-open their factory in Detroit. So, if you’re looking for a way to help support healthcare workers – and get a head start on your 2021 Olympics gear – the Shinola The Champ Detrola is right there for you. shinola.com

Watch Overview

Brand & Model: Shinola The Champ Detrola

Price: $395

Who we think it might be for: You’re looking for a watch, and want to help support a healthcare workers charity

Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen? Of the various Detrola designs, this isn’t the one I’d want to put on my wrist

What spoke to me the most about this watch: It shows an agility in their design and plans to be able to pivot to support frontline workers

Tech Specs from Shinola

Case: 43mm, made of TR90 resin

Strap: silicone, quick release

Movement: Argonite 705 quartz

Crystal: K1 mineral

Limited edition: 500 pieces

]]>https://wristwatchreview.com/2020/05/29/times-are-different-and-the-shinola-the-champ-detrola-recognizes-that/feed/0Be ready for summer sun with the Awake Concept La Bleuehttps://wristwatchreview.com/2020/05/27/be-ready-for-summer-sun-with-the-awake-concept-la-bleue/
https://wristwatchreview.com/2020/05/27/be-ready-for-summer-sun-with-the-awake-concept-la-bleue/#respondWed, 27 May 2020 13:00:00 +0000https://wristwatchreview.com/?p=142647Depending on what you’re doing for your summertime activities, you might have different idea on what it is you’d want in a watch. And sure, you can tailor your watch to the specific activities (diving, hiking, trail running, etc), but what if you just want a basic, no-nonsense “knock around” sort of a piece? Oh, and you want to be conscious of your eco-impact? Then the Awake La Bleue might be of interest to you.

At it’s surface, the Awake Concept La Bleue is a pretty simple watch. You’ve got yourself a nylon strap paired to a steel case, which houses a colorful dial and a two-hander approach to time telling. Throw in a 100m WR rating, and yeah, you’ve got something that sounds summer ready (colorful and waterproof). But what’s the eco angle?

First off, you’ve got a solar-powered movement. For now, we’ll give a pass on what manufacturing those actually takes, and focus on your immediate impact – no battery changes. Sure, eventually that rechargeable cell is going to give out, but my solar G-Shock is still trucking, and that’s after 12+ years. Secondly, what about that strap? It’s your basic nylon, but the plastic it’s made from comes from bottles collected from the ocean, so not too shabby, eh?

For me, there’s something about the simplicity of a watch that just works away while you’re out in the sun, whether or not you’re in the water. And if the lume is half-decent, well, all the better for telling time while you’re camping or even just watching a movie out of doors. There are a variety of colors available, and even two case sizes. You’ll be paying $175 for watch on either strap (and there’s a slightly different style with a higher WR for $229-$249). Check everything out direct from the brand: awakeconcept.com

Tech Specs from Awake Concent

Diameter : 38mm

Thickness : 7,7mm

Weight: 26g (case only)

Case : Made from recycled ghost fishing nets

Movement : Japanese solar movement

Power reserve : 4 months

Waterproof : 5 ATM / 50 m

Glass : Anti-glare mineral glass

Strap : Fabric Nato made from R-PET (Recycled Plastic Bottles)

Lugs : 20mm

]]>https://wristwatchreview.com/2020/05/27/be-ready-for-summer-sun-with-the-awake-concept-la-bleue/feed/0Introducing the Mido Commander Gradienthttps://wristwatchreview.com/2020/05/26/introducing-the-mido-commander-gradient/
https://wristwatchreview.com/2020/05/26/introducing-the-mido-commander-gradient/#respondTue, 26 May 2020 13:00:00 +0000https://wristwatchreview.com/?p=142640Seems this year might be the year of the see-through dial, in some form or fashion. Not that long ago we had the lovely sapphire hue coming from Christopher Ward (seen here), and now we’ve got Mido coming on hot with their take, in the form of the Mido Commander Gradient.

Rather than the sapphire that we saw used on the CW, here, the Mido Commander Gradient is making use of a piece of acrylic for the dial. So, where’s the gradient? Well, that’s how you have that dark outer ring near the indices. If you take a closer look at the date disc (which I still don’t like to be able to see, even here) you see the gradient kicking in (except for the date window “cutout” which is crisp and clear.

The Mido Commander Gradient follows the established Commander line design language, and brings along the Calibre 80 movement to the party. And I will say this – an 80-hour power reserve doesn’t sound impressive until you actually experience it. Perhaps if you’re a one- or two-watch person, it’s not helpful. But if you’re flipping around between different watches, that longer-lasting reserve (3+ days) is a treat.

While all of these photos show the Mido Commander Gradient with a PVD finish and on a black strap, there are a few different options. The most affordable is actually the steel finish with a bracelet ($920), then up to $960 for the model we’ve shown here (or in a gold-tone PVD), and topping out at the full PVD finish (even the bracelet) for $1,060. While I can’t say that this is my favorite Mido ever, I do like the smoked look to the dial, which gives the whole thing a sort of wheel-and-tire look, keeping the motoring dream on your wrist. midowatches.com